There was more to the rain than meets the eye in Sombra. It was an unforeseen phenomenon that deposited a sense of inevitable doom in the town, permeating the streets and the people's thoughts. Rememberings would be like water pouring down a drain: they would vanish when the rain arrived, as it always had. There was more to the storm than just water; it was also a storm of lost connections, identities, and histories.
This was the way of life for generations of Sombrans. As far back as anybody could recall—though the majority couldn't remember much—the rain had washed away all trace of the past. The previous day's events would remain a mystery to those who woke up and went about their daily lives. All of their loved ones, happiness, sorrow, and hardship would slip their minds. It seemed like there was no such thing as time; everything was constantly in flux.
No one could recall when it was first placed, but others thought it was a curse, a retribution for an old transgression. Recollections of the first rains and the arrival of the settlers to Sombra, who erected the tower believed to save their memory, were recounted by the elders. However, it ensnared them rather than protected them. And now, the inhabitants of Sombra were entangled in the never-ending web of amnesia.
The librarian, Mira, had never known anything besides the town's amnesic fog. As a child, she would spend countless hours in the library, finding comfort in the stories told by ancient books about people who had long since forgotten about the present. But then, in the peaceful isolation of the library one night, Mira found something that would alter the course of events: an unclaimed book that contained the secret to the town's long-lost past.
The chronicle recounted a tower, buried memories, and a curse that, if broken, would necessitate facing the truth. However, the reality was harsh. So it was never. Mira would quickly discover that if she wanted to rescue her community, she had to face her own history in addition to Sombra's.
The legend of the tower went beyond a straightforward account of forgotten times. It was about people who had escaped their sorrow by fleeing from their history, only to realise that their past would always hold them captive. The three cornerstones of their independence were remembering, facing the forgotten, and accepting the rain.
Part One: A Village Without Memories
The town of Sombra was shrouded in a thick fog. Normalcy prevailed, although nobody could recollect the place's past, legends, or origins. Every downpour washed away memories, like the mist that rolled over the cobblestone streets. Names faded, faces transformed, and even the most private facts of a person's existence disappeared. Far ago, the village had lost all memory of itself.
An undercurrent of sadness pervaded the community at all times. Unsettlingly, the people went through the motions, failing to connect or remember anything. Despite this, nobody raised an objection. What right do you have to doubt something you do not recollect?
The young librarian Mira, who had spent her entire life in Sombra, knew this more than anybody else. The dense mist of amnesia had enveloped her whole life. There was still something missing, even though she spent her days in the library, with its reassuring smell of old books and soft rustle of pages.
"Why bother to preserve history when you don't even know what it is?" she often thought as a memory keeper.
She found solace in the library. There, she might find solace in the desolation of the town. Things were not what they appeared to be even in this place. It was as if the town's curse was reflected in the literature. Pages were missing, discoloured, or otherwise damaged in some of them. They were unfinished and disjointed, just like the folks who used to visit the library on a daily basis.
At one of her nighttime library excursions, she discovered a peculiar book hidden in the library's darkest corner. Hidden under a coat of dust and long-lost literature, it appeared it had eagerly anticipated her arrival. Rather than a title, the book's cover had a disturbing symbol resembling a spiral or an eye. For Mira, it was all novel.
Enticed, she retrieved it from the shelf and flipped to the front page.
"The rain fell, and I forgot. My name, family, and past vanished into the storm. But I remember the longing, the ache to remember. What was it that was stolen from me?"
A little beat skipped Mira's heart. She had never encountered such unfamiliar phrases in her reading. As if penned by a person who had experienced the crushing burden of bereavement, they seemed too personal and raw. With shaky fingers, she continued reading as the ink swirled across the pages.
"The curse began long ago when the tower was built to preserve our memories. The more we tried to save them, the more they slipped away. But now, there is hope. The memories may be returned if one can find the tower's heart. But beware, for the truth is not kind."
Thoughts ran through Mira's mind, and she closed the book. The weird sensation in her chest convinced her that this book was the secret to understanding everything, even though she didn't understand it. A record of the long-lost history of the town—this book was average. On top of that, she experienced an attraction to it.
Part Two: Shadows Cast by the Night
Mira became more and more engrossed in the book as time went on. Reading the entries repeatedly, she would go back to them whenever she could. New information, snippets of the town's history, and pieces of lives swept away by the rain appeared every time she turned the book's pages.
A pattern started to emerge for her. Even the community residents could not recall the happy and sad occurrences detailed in the book. Births, marriages, deaths, and conflicts occurred. However, the storylines of these stories all concluded in the same manner: the rain came down, and everything faded away.
As she continued to read, she saw that the book started to change. The book seemed to come to life, altering as she read it, with words appearing and disappearing at will. As the sun descended, she stumbled upon an entry that caught her eye.
"There is a place, a tower hidden in the heart of Sombra. It was built to protect our memories, but it became a prison. In the tower lies the key to breaking the curse. But it must not be opened lightly. Dark mysteries lurk in the past."
"Tower" jolted Mira out of her state of shock. Throughout her childhood, she had heard stories and rumors passed down from the older generation regarding it, but no one had ever truly believed them. Some thought it was all an urban legend, while others insisted it was a long-demolished building. In contrast, the words of the book served as an invitation. The key to open all the doors was the tower. Yet, nobody had mentioned it before. Why did it seem like no one remembered it?
Part Three: The Mysterious Secret of the Tower
With an unwavering will to uncover the truth, Mira embarked on her search for the tower the following morning. Somewhere in the town, buried under the dust of time and her own amnesia, was its location; she couldn't pinpoint it.
Even though she had been through Sombra before, her travels had altered the city's appearance. Recognised but unable to identify specific landmarks. Unidentified faces yet appeared somewhat familiar. Even though she lived there, Mira felt like an outsider in this town that had been neglected for a long time.
After hours of walking in the direction of the voices in her head, the desire to locate the tower intensified. As was her fate, Mira felt no melancholy as the rain poured down again. She was under the false notion that she was making headway.
She found a trail that had escaped her earlier as the sun started to drop. It curled and shrank through a dense forest of trees, their branches bent over from the weight of the rain. The tower, symbolising the completion of her quest, became apparent as she ascended the slope.
She had never dreamed the tower would be so majestic. Built of weathered and fractured stone, it towered above and looked frightening. Veins clung to the walls, and the windows were black and vacant. It seemed to have been waiting for her with an aura of energy and antiquity, though.
With caution, Mira made her way to the tower. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something was unusual about the air around it. She discovered a solid wooden door at its base—but it was locked. Pressing her palms to the icy stone, she sensed the lifeblood within. So far, the door had been unresponsive.
Over the following several days, Mira uncovered every information regarding the tower. In hopes of finding a clue, she went to the town's elders, who didn't have any information. Any effort to engage them on the tower only confused and annoyed them because they needed to have a memory of its existence.
Mira returned to the tower every night to study the symbols engraved into the stone walls, determined to find out what they meant. Something occurred one night after that. There was an immediate warmth when she touched the door as if the structure had sensed her arrival.
It swung open with a squeeeak.
Part Four: The Tower's Centre
Within the tower, a chilling silence and shadowy darkness pervaded. Old books adorned the walls, some with worn covers and others with broken spines. There was an air of antiquity and rust in the air. In the middle of the room, on a stone pedestal, was an open book. In the library, Mira had discovered one that was quite similar.
Her heart raced as she drew near the pedestal. She felt strange as the book pages spun in response to her touch. Emerging on the screen were letters penned in a tongue that initially baffled Mira. The words began to change and became evident as her fingertips traced the ink.
"Remembering allows you to look past the tempest. Be cautious, for within you lie the memories you seek. You won't find the past if you're looking for the past."
Still with her fingers resting on the pages, Mira halted. Its life and warmth were palpable to her, as if breathing with her. It finally hit her: the missing link would unlock Sombra's mysteries.
The tower had evolved into more than just a monument; it was a portal to the forgotten past of the town. The sole individual capable of comprehending it was Mira, the custodian of recollections.
Part Five: Responsibility for Accuracy
Mira discovered more as she read on. The story explained how the Sombra settlers constructed the tower to safeguard their memories, where the curse originated. They had tried to hold on to their history, but in doing so, they had unleashed a power that devoured everything and erased it from existence.
Contrary to Mira's assumption, the curse had not started with the rain. The tower's disruption of nature's balance caused the rain, which was only a symptom. Not voluntarily; the memories had been sealed away. The settlers had built a jail; it had ensnared the town in a never-ending loop of forgetting.
It dawned on Mira that destroying the tower was the only way to release the curse. But there was more complexity than met the eye in destroying the structure. Not only did the town own the memories it held, but Mira did, too. The more she dug, the more her past, including her family and the love she had experienced, came flooding back.
But with each revelation, the pain of recollection grew. Sombra and herself were both confronted with unflattering realities. However, it was essential.
Part Six: Confronting the History
A clear path was illuminated for Mira. Alone, she would be unable to break the spell. The residents of Sombra were forced to confront their own memories, both pleasant and unpleasant. They had to face the suffering if they wanted to put the past in the past.
She rounded up the town's inhabitants in the plaza upon her return. She informed them of everything she had discovered regarding the tower, the curse, and the importance of remembering. Fearing what memories they could unearth, the townspeople were hesitant. One by one, everyone started to pay attention as Mira talked with such conviction and emotion.
The inhabitants of Sombra thus embarked upon the arduous journey of remembering. As each person faced their past, the intensity of the downpour diminished. As the mist lifted, the town's streets were bathed in sunlight—a sight not seen in years.
Part Seven: A New Beginning
The fog dissipated as the final drops of rain disappeared, exposing the long-lost town of Sombra. In the minds of these folks lived the indelible recollections of loved ones, places, and tales. Everyone was swept away by the torrent of recollections as the floodgates unleashed. They suddenly realised that their shared history contained the key to breaking the curse.
The people rose to their feet and grew closer to each other as Mira watched from the center of it all. She had taken on the role of memory keeper, protecting the family's history.
Finally, Sombra was transformed from a town of a forgotten past. The community had come alive, accepted and even loved its history and was now using it to create a better future.
The downpour had ended.
The town also became accessible as a result.
Epilogue: The Importance of Recollection
The rains had stopped years ago.
Something changed with Sombra. A new vigour had spread throughout the populace, and the streets had become a more colourful scene. They were no longer associated with the memoryless' dead, emotionless looks. They shared their stories, shed tears, and re-created the expressions on the faces of those they loved. Where there had been a hush, the people's spirits were lifted again, and laughing echoed through the air.
From her vantage point in the library, Mira could see the entire town. A clear blue sky had broken through, and people were out and about going about their day. After extensive restoration, the once-prisoning tower now remained as a memorial. Instead of grieving, they went to pay their respects. No longer did the tower evoke fear, despite its past as a prison. A place of refuge, the people might now gather there to honour the past they had taken back.
Witnessing the townspeople stroll by, chatting, laughing, and reminiscing filled Mira with pride. It was done by her. They had also confronted their pasts.
Even as they felt the burden of shared experiences, Mira understood that their journey was far from ending. They could not be genuinely themselves without the past. Living with it had become second nature to them, and they had begun to see it as a springboard to better things.
But she had never really answered the last remaining question. What was the actual source of the curse? Why did the rains and the loss of memory occur? Although she had made numerous discoveries, numerous questions remained unresolved.
From its secure perch on the table, Mira plucked up the book she had discovered in the library. For the town, it had been the means of reclaiming its past. But it was also hiding secrets, truths that she felt compelled to reveal even now. Although the town had made great strides in healing, dark corners of its history still needed to be explored.
It seemed apparent to her that people would keep looking for solutions. There could be more clouds, recollections, and secrets to solve. But for the time being, Mira was content. Her role had been fulfilled. The town's fate was now entirely up to its residents, as amnesia had been lifted.
Before returning the book to the shelf, Mira looked at the sun-drenched streets below. She and the town were free of the past's shackles. Despite the sorrow, she would never give up seeking the truth since it was the truth that defined them.
Although the years passed, Mira remained confident of one thing: even if it rained again, the inhabitants of Sombra would never forget. Their memories would endure forever.
